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AI dossier

Artificial intelligence and intellectual property rights

For a long time, artificial intelligence only inspired people's imagination, but for some time now it has had an ever greater influence on our lives. Many of the devices we use today already contain forms of artificial intelligence. And it continues to develop so rapidly that this progress raises more and more questions - not least with regard to intellectual property rights.

On the occasion of the conference "Artificial intelligence - effects and challenges in the patent system" at the DPMA, we dedicate a dossier to this exciting topic. Our examiners in particular, who deal with this subject every day, will have their say.

"Smart IP" was the topic of a round table on 22 February at the DPMA. Together with UNION-IP, the DPMA invited to lectures and discussions on the topic "Applying intelligence to patenting, licensing and enforcing IP on new technology".

Experts from various sectors spoke at the DPMA about artificial intelligence (AI) and its protection. Two questions ran like a red thread through the conference with around 130 participants: How can AI be protected? And: If AI itself generates inventions, can they be protected at all?

Dr. Josef Fleischmann, group leader and patent examiner at the DPMA in the field of data processing and information technology, on opportunities and risks in the development and use of artificial intelligence

The extent to which artificial intelligence is patentable was one of the main topics of the AI conference at the DPMA. But there are still many more open questions. One of them is: If artificial intelligence generates new inventions by itself - are they protectable at all?